During the

reconquista The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...

, the siege of Córdoba ( Spanish: , Conquest of Córdoba) was a successful

investment Investment is traditionally defined as the "commitment of resources into something expected to gain value over time". If an investment involves money, then it can be defined as a "commitment of money to receive more money later". From a broade ...

by the forces of Ferdinand III, king of Castile and León, marking the end of the Islamic rule over the city that had begun in 711.

Siege

Upon receiving information that part of the inhabitants of the eastern quarter of Cordoba, Ajarquia, were disaffected with their rulers, a handful of almogávars led by knights acting on their own initiative scaled a tower during a rainy winter night of 1235–1236. After meeting their contacts inside, they eventually seized control of the neighborhood. The almogávars, some of whom spoke Arabic, were likely employed as Castilian border guards in the Andújar region, where they assembled before mounting their daring operation. The whole episode has been subject to varying interpretations. The '' Primera Crónica General'' highlighted the heroic act of the leading knights, while later Spanish historian Julio González emphasized that help from within city walls must have been a significant factor in the success of this takeover, for it met with little opposition in Ajarquia. After the city fell to Ferdinand, a tower and nearby gate in Ajarquia were named after Alvaro Colodro, a knight who was reported to have led the climb. The date of this ''

coup de main A ''coup de main'' (, : , ) is a swift attack that relies on speed and surprise to accomplish its objectives in a single blow. Definition The United States Department of Defense defines it as "An offensive operation that capitalizes on surprise ...

'' likely occurred in last week of 1235. The Christian soldiers killed a number of the Muslim inhabitants of Ajarquia, and some survivors took refuge in the Al Medina quarter, the sociopolitical center of the city. Because an inner wall separated the two quarters, a bloody standoff followed, with significant losses on both sides, but with neither being able to make significant progress. The Christians immediately sent word to neighboring border forces, most notably those of Álvaro Pérez de Castro, who reinforced them, and they also asked king Ferdinand for help. The event took Ferdinand by surprise, as he had recently concluded a truce with Ibn Hud. Ferdinand rode with a small band of knights and arrived at Córdoba on February 7, 1236, after traveling through rainstorms and a flooded country.

Aftermath

The Siege of Córdoba, culminating in Ferdinand III's capture of the city, was a turning point in the Reconquista, consolidating Christian control over Al-Andalus. The event also left a lasting impact on Córdoba's cultural and architectural landscape, as Christian rulers sought to integrate Islamic influences into their domains. In capturing the city, Ferdinand benefited from the rivalry between the two main competing

taifa The taifas (from ''ṭā'ifa'', plural ''ṭawā'if'', meaning "party, band, faction") were the independent Muslim principalities and kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal and Spain), referred to by Muslims as al-Andalus, that em ...

rulers following the dissolution of the

Almohad The Almohad Caliphate (; or or from ) or Almohad Empire was a North African Berber Muslim empire founded in the 12th century. At its height, it controlled much of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus) and North Africa (the Maghreb). The Almohad ...

authority, itself triggered by the

Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, known in Islamic history as the Battle of Al-Uqab (), took place on 16 July 1212 and was an important turning point in the ''Reconquista'' and the Spain in the Middle Ages, medieval history of Spain. The Christian ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cordoba 1236, Siege of Conflicts in 1236 Sieges of the Reconquista Military history of Córdoba, Spain Cordoba 1236 Cordoba 1236 1236 in Europe 13th century in al-Andalus 13th century in Castile